England play a rare home match away from Wembley Stadium on Tuesday night when they host Switzerland at Leicester’s King Power Stadium.
After a Nations League defeat at the national stadium to Spain on Saturday, Gareth Southgate’s World Cup semi-finalists head north for a friendly with a Swiss team which reached the last-16 in Russia.
Fans will hope for an entertaining evening – and there have certainly been memorable matches when England have gone on tour around the country. Here we pick out some of England’s standout moments away from Wembley…
England’s Wembley run
From January 1966 until June 1995 England didn’t play a true home match at a venue other than Wembley.
England 3-3 Sweden, June 1995, Elland Road
England played their first home match away from Wembley in 29 years in June 1995, when they hosted Sweden at Leeds’ Elland Road as part of the Umbro Cup.
The four-team tournament, also featuring Brazil and Japan, was used as a rehearsal for the following summer’s Euro 96, and three men who would play important roles for England in that competition found the net in an exciting comeback draw with Sweden.
After squeezing past Japan in their opener at Wembley, thanks to an 88th-minute David Platt penalty, England were trailing 1994 World Cup third-place finishers Sweden 3-1 with a minute of normal time remaining. Teddy Sheringham had swept in from close range but England were on course for a disappointing defeat.
But when Platt headed in Paul Gascoigne’s free-kick there was hope of salvaging a point, and England did just that when Darren Anderton hammered the ball in off both posts with a left-foot volley after an Alan Shearer knock-down.
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Defeat to Brazil in the final Umbro Cup clash would follow at Wembley but there were plenty more thrilling moments to come from Terry Venables’ side, who agonisingly lost out on penalties in the European Championship semi-finals to Germany a year later.
England 2-1 Belgium, October 1999, Stadium of Light
England boss Kevin Keegan was less than impressed with his team’s performance in their 2-1 friendly win over Belgium – and the country’s dismal exit from Euro 2000 proved he was right to be concerned – but fans at the Stadium of Light were treated to two stunning strikes.
Shearer may have been playing at the home of Newcastle rivals Sunderland, but the North East star had supporters on their feet with an acrobatic overhead kick six minutes in. When Frank Lampard’s miscued shot bounced up for the England captain, Shearer dropped backwards and sent a right-foot shot into the far corner.
He was outdone in the second half, though, when Jamie Redknapp rocketed a left-foot drive in off the underside of the bar from all of 30 yards to restore England’s lead. Not a bad way to score your first and only international goal.
England 2-2 Greece, October 2001, Old Trafford
David Beckham’s finest moment in an England shirt came at his beloved Old Trafford when he capped an all-action captain’s display with a last-gasp free-kick stunner to send England to the 2002 World Cup finals.
Sven-Goran Eriksson’s were on the verge of a shock 2-1 defeat to Greece and facing the prospect of a two-leg play-off against Ukraine deep into injury time in October 2001. Sheringham’s instant impact as a substitute had earlier pulled England level but a defensive lapse left them desperately searching for a second.
It was the 93rd minute when Beckham lined up a long-range free-kick. He had tried and failed with several earlier attempts and this was the final chance of the match. The pressure was on – and Beckham delivered, striking a superb shot into the top corner.
There were wild celebrations and the result, coupled with Germany’s draw with Finland, meant England were on their way to Japan and South Korea.
England 1-3 Australia, February 2003, Upton Park
Eriksson was heavily criticised for an embarrassing 3-1 defeat against Australia at Upton Park in February 2003, after the Swede had fielded two different XIs – but the introduction of a certain Wayne Rooney for the second half made this a key moment in the England national team’s history.
At just 17 years and 111 days old, debutant Rooney became England’s youngest-ever international and was involved in a consolation for the hosts, which was scored by Francis Jeffers.
But the post-match focus was on a dreadful England display, rather than the arrival of England’s future all-time record scorer. England’s first-half first-choice line-up had been comprehensively outplayed and trailed 2-0 at the break.
England 2-0 Wales, October 2004, Old Trafford
Rooney was a key man for England 18 months later, having starred at Euro 2004, and on his return to the international fold from the injury he suffered in the quarter-final defeat to Portugal, was placed behind Jermain Defoe and Michael Owen in a three-man attack against Wales.
There had been plenty of excitement ahead of the Battle of Britain contest at Old Trafford, but Owen’s fortunate flick on a Frank Lampard shot put the hosts ahead just four minutes in.
Wales goalkeeper Paul Jones was at his best to prevent England from adding to that tally in the first half but could do nothing about a sublime strike from Beckham just after the hour mark. The England skipper shifted the ball on to his right foot 25 yards from goal and bent the ball into the top corner.
England’s defence – featuring Rio Ferdinand making his first international appearance since his eight-month drugs ban – were untroubled and Eriksson’s side were able to enjoy a comfortable win over their neighbours.
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